Aaron Craft just fouled out for '13-'14: NCAA bball refs to enforce handchecking

Aaron Craft just fouled out for '13-'14: NCAA bball refs to enforce handchecking

Per this PennLive article, the NCAA refs met and have been directed to call handchecking. The rule has been on the books for some time, but, per NCAA national officiating coordinator John Adams, the size/strength/speed of the players has necessitated increased attention to actually enforcing it.

This is great news for teams like UM who play a less physical and more cerebral style of offensive basketball. It's not great news for teams like MSU, or players like Craft, who play a very physical brand of basketball.

I've got a little more hope than you. I think this directive really came from higher up, i.e. top NCAA brass. My bet is that they viewed the physical play as beginning to negatively impact the "watchable-ness" of the game, which, in turn, negaitvely impacts TV revenues.

If TV revenues are driving the directive, I think we have more reason to be hopeful.

As others have mentioned, I'll believe it when I see it. MSU and Wiscy have been playing this style for years now, and I'd be amazed if the officials do much more than pay lip service to the "new" rule unless they want Ryan or Izzo killing them in the middle of the court.

This might be enforced some in the non-conference part of the schedule to try and get the players mentally thinking they can't hand check, but I'll be real interested to see how aggressively this rule is enforced by the Big Ten in conference play.

Every time I watch the game the more angry I become. They practically mauled our players and got away with it. If this rule was enforced in that game their isn't a doubt im my mind that Michigan is the National Champions. The only reason I don't discuss the subject more is makes us look like sore losers.

Here's an ESPN article which has some quotes from Calipari, Pitino and Self on the rule changes. Supposedly, there is not unaninmous agreement on these among the coachs on the effect of these, but Pitino and Calipari seemed to be on board anyway.

It also mentions that the block-charge call has changed as well:

"Another rule that should clearly benefit the offense and is likely to increase scoring is the block-charge call, which now states that a defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once he has begun his upward motion with the ball to attempt a field goal or a pass. Previously, the player had to be in legal guarding position when the offensive player lifted off the floor."

"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."

Now, instead of the time to get to LGP being when the offensive player leaves the floor (a very clear definition), now its when the players begins upward motion. I guess that means when he lifts the ball upwards? When he pulls his knee up?

Not sure how I feel about this. To me this feels like the college game taking one step closer to an NBA style of play.

This rule exists for good reason and certainly needs to be enforced when dealing with blatantly obvious offenders (such as Aaron Craft) but I worry that officials will begin to overemphasize this rule. If they are going to key in on handchecking then they need to counter that by focusing on offensive players clearing space with their off hand. Unfortunately, I don't think this will happen. The casual viewer perceives the college game as "too slow" compared to the NBA and I think this is the NCAA's attempt to remedy that.

As LSA mentioned the article also discusses the block-charge rule. Though I agree that flopping exists, one of my favorite things about college basketball is that charges actually get called. Reckless drives to the basket are punished, not rewarded, as they correctly should be. However, I am not the "average fan". The NBA has been able to create a star on damn near every team by rewarding aggressive offensive players. I worry that this will be the NCAA's next step in an attempt to generate more fans/revenue. I get that offense sells, but to dilute the product in the process feels dirty to me.

I don't understand why you think cracking on handchecking "dilutes the product." Scoring in college basketball has plummeted over the past 20 years and the rampant handchecking is a big reason. Watch the Fab Five or the 1989 team play and you won't believe how much more fluid the play is. Back then, you could never score 55 points and expect to win. Everyone played what would now be considered uptempo. The issue isn't that CBB is slow-paced compared to the NBA, but that it's slow-paced compared to what it formerly was. Shooting percentages are also way down.

Today's college basketball is a slopfest in comparison. We're one of the best offensive programs, and still, we play our share of games in the 50s and low 60s because all the handchecking bogs possessions down. All the handchecking and grabbing makes it hard for cutters to get free, for perimeter guys to make entry passes, for guys to set good picks, and so on.

I don't think enforcing handchecking dilutes the product. My worry is that overenforcement will occur and that referres will be taking away a key defensive "tool" without equally punishing offensive players who push off or clear space with their hands.

When it comes to things like holding, hacking, etc. I don't think those things belong in basketball whatsoever. However, if offensive players are given continued leniency when it comes to pushing off, clearing space, or using their shoulder to back down defenders then I will be against referees cracking down on handchecking and "riding".

As to your point about scores "plummeting" I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. If by "plummet" you mean dropped by less than 10 points/game then, yes, they have plummeted. While handchecking may contribute to this phenomenon I think the bigger culprit is the shot clock. Drop the shot clock to 24 seconds and watch scoring increase.

If you shorten the shot clock but keep the same foul-tolerant officiating, scores may drop even lower. The game is currently a slopfest because it's so hard to get good shots. Shortening the shot clock will mean more bad shots being taken - unless the officials clean things up.

For a team like Wisconsin or MSU that might equate to a more sloppy style of play which would favor an uptempo team such as Michigan. More bad shots from less talented teams = more floor running and plays right into an athletic team's hands.

But, again, I don't have a problem with officials calling hand checking. I have a problem with officials focusing more on defensive fouls than offensive fouls. We see this all the time in the NBA where offensive players are allowed to clear space or push off and are constantly rewarded when it comes to position battles or block/charge calls.